ELIZABETH JACKSON: In terms of political drama, it's hard to beat the events that have unfolded in Beijing over the past few months.

The case of Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng triggered high level drama between the US and China.

The US embassy in Beijing had protected Mr Chen for six days after he made a remarkable escape from house arrest.

Finally the US government agreed to accept Chen as a student, but his departure from China will leave behind many unanswered questions.

Huey Fern Tay reports from Beijing.

HUEY FERN TAY: Chen Guangcheng is waiting for his passport so that he can leave China.

(Chen Guangcheng speaking)

"I want to leave" he says.

(Journalist speaking)

"Why?"

(Chen Guangcheng speaking)

"There are many reasons why I've made this decision".

HUEY FERN TAY: The self-taught legal activist has been offered a fellowship to study law in the United States; one by a New York University, the other by a Washington University.

But this wasn't how things were supposed to turn out when Mr Chen agreed to leave the US Embassy in Beijing where he had sought reference for six days.

(Journalist speaking)

"We heard that you'd hope to stay in China and study in China; you don't want to do that anymore?" the ABC asked him.

(Chen Guangcheng speaking)

"That's right" he said.

HUEY FERN TAY: Chen Guangcheng had escaped from 19 months of house arrest and was in jail before that for disrupting traffic and damaging property.

What really offended local officials, though, was his expose on the forced abortions and sterilisations that had been carried out in his home town in the name of enforcing China's one child policy.

Chen Guangcheng spoke to the ABC from the hospital where he's still being treated, in part for injuries sustained when he made his daring escape.

But the circumstances surrounding Chen Guangcheng's decision to leave the US Embassy were confusing and highly debated initially.

Was he coerced? No, said American officials.

Was he tricked? No, said Mr Chen.

So what happened and why did he change his mind?

His wife was reportedly threatened by local officials in their home town of Shandong.

They were deeply embarrassed because after all they had stationed teams of men outside Mr Chen's home around the clock. Yet it took them four days to realise a blind men had escaped under their watch.

In a fit of rage they barged into the home of Chen Guangcheng's nephew in the middle of the night looking for him.

(Chen Kegui speaking)

"I was afraid of getting caught by them and either being beaten to death, or beaten until I lost consciousness", he says. "That's why, under these circumstances I left to look for a temporary safe location so that I could ring the police, so that they could save my child".

Chen Kegui says he waited several hours for the police to come but they never did. That's when he ran for his life.

Lawyer Jiang Tianyong believes he did the right thing.

(Jian Tianyong speaking)

"In China the law may be the law", he says, "but in reality, power is greater than the law". "Chen Guangcheng's case is the most classic example".

After being on the run for a few days, Chen Kegui was eventually found and detained by police. He has been accused of homicide with intent but not formally charged. His uncle Chen Guangcheng fears for his safety.

The lawyer who we spoke to earlier was taken away, beaten and cautioned by authorities not to get involved in anything related to Chen Guangcheng.

Other lawyers say they too have also been warned.

(Lawyer speaking)

"Actually I'm not worried about having my freedom restricted" he says. "The important thing is that once that happens, I won't be able to take part in this case."

When Mr Chen boards that plane for life in America, he will do so against the backdrop of much uncertainty. What will happen to his supporters, nephew and other members of his extended family? And, will local authorities in Mr Chen's home town be held accountable for the physical abuse inflicted on him and his family during the course of his detention at home?